Slashback: Electioneering, Blimps, Shuffling 377
Let's get the politics out of the way.
The Washington state Republican Party has been working to prove that the election of November 2, between Democrat Christine Gregoire and Republican Dino Rossi, was too fraudulent to be trusted, given the small margin of victory by Gregoire (129 votes), and they want a new election. Hundreds of alleged fraudulent votes (mostly felons, but also out-of-state, duplicate, and deceased voters), uncounted ballots, unaccounted-for absentee ballots, and illegally counted provisional ballots comprise the bulk of the GOP's case. The trial begins May 23, and the judge expects it to last two weeks. The hearing to decide the burden of proof standard will be May 2.
Unctuous politicians relive their student-council glory days:
Jackson West writes "As it stands, two versions of the Electronic Engineering bill (discussed earlier on Slashdot) presented to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors have passed their 'first reading.' This means both the first, unamended piece of legislation, and an amended version that will "specifically exclude web logs, forums, opt-in email lists and postings on general web pages." The Rules Committee will consider the amended bill on Monday, with a final vote on both bills on Tuesday."
How to get attention, part IIVVIVIVM.SanLouBlues writes "On March 30th, Slashdot reported on the FBI request for the logs of several radical-leaning sites. The Washington Post has an article about the man who was responsible for the posts which resulted in the FBI request. He claimed to have killed a cop in several forum posts."
Now on to the fun stuff!Matt Omori writes to say that GimpShop, the recently mentioned version of The GIMP hacked to feel more familiar to users of Photoshop, isn't just for Linux and Mac OS X. "Yes, it's finally been coded for Windows XP. After lots of hard work, some people devoted to a website, plasticbugs.com, have coded GimpShop for Windows."
To use it, you'll need Windows XP, GTK+, and a reboot. However, I'd also like to point out a BigSven's comment about the themeability of The GIMP; it would be great to see GIMPersonalities of all sorts -- and it sounds like this can be accomplished with some XML editing.
Still looks actionable to me.MrToast writes "The iPodLounge is reporting that LuxPro's Super Shuffle is back, but this time with slight alterations. The Super Tangent, as it is being called, has a slightly different button area and also has new headphones. Otherwise it appears to be identical to the iPod shuffle."
(The SuperShuffle disappeared from the Web site, and was reported as a hoax, shortly after it was mentioned in mid-March.)
Let's close on some uplifting news. Vaeske writes with more on my favorite futuristic means of broadband delivery, region-covering airships. "GlobeTel Communications Corp announced that they will be showing their prototype of the Sanswire One on April 12th. This "Stratalite" as they call it, will float in the stratosphere at 65,000 feet and provide line of sight communications to approximately 300,000 square miles, providing two-way high-sped communication. This project has attracted many high-profile NASA engineers to leave their posts for a position with GlobeTel. The military has also shown interest and was present at the GlobeTel Summit."
Mostly fellons (Score:4, Insightful)
that would be 10% of the US population [nationmaster.com]
That's funny (Score:5, Insightful)
I don't understand the acrimony directed towards (Score:5, Insightful)
Rather than focusing about his 'rude' modus operandi Gimp developers should notice the HUGE positive reaction to his modification by 'normal users': if instead of sitting in their ivory tower and going on about 'Gimp is not PS, we won't change how the UI operates' the Gimp devs listened to users who have been begging for a PS-like UI for YEARS there wouldn't have been any need for a fork (they've also been beggin for adjustment layers as well, but who knows when that will happen).
I thought that this is what Open Source is all about: if you don't like it, fix it and release it (like this guy did).
If he had 'followed due process' he'd just have been ignored because 'Gimp is not Photoshop'. This seems like a case of damned if you do (you shouldn't fork the gimp) and damned if you don't (you're not a coder, so you have no right to complain).
If you want to fix voting problems, vote 3rd party (Score:4, Insightful)
The fact of the matter is that neither side really seems to care about fixing the system when they are in power. Perhaps they feel they have more important things to do than perserve voting integrity, but each side seems to gloat when it looks like the other is getting the short end of the stick.
It does not serve democracy to prop up this failed process; it doesn't even really serve the candidates. All it does is turn something that should represent the will of the electorate into an elaborate game of legal manipulation and shenanagans, and the only way to stop it is to have overwhelming and incontestible voting returns in 2006 for the Rastafarian candidates. Thank you.
Sloppy reporting (Score:5, Insightful)
I started reading the Washington Post story about the cop killer, and everything seemed fine until one paragraph stuck out like a sore thumb:
His eyes are not a madman's eyes, but they look dilated, nothing but pupils, and when he turns to face you, he stares. In the antebellum courthouse, surrounded by sheriff's deputies, the stare is merely awkward. Imagine, though, those black eyes at night, with him holding a gun.
What the fuck is that doing in a newspaper? It's the newspaper's job to report the facts, not demonise him. Is this what passes for journalism in the USA these days?
Re:Let's get the politics out of the way (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Fun stuff was best (Score:1, Insightful)
I have a third alternative, quit being an OSS zealot and just buy a copy of photoshop if you really need it that badly.
Re:Mostly fellons (Score:1, Insightful)
Everyone is a felon in the country. Convicted felons are a different story.
You're proablly trolling but in case you aren't... (Score:5, Insightful)
The media
The media in the USA is insane. They're the single biggest lobby group in America today and not only that but they're also in the director's chair because they control what politician's get elected. Everyone should go look up a documentary called Orwell Rolls in his Grave. Now a day's, all the media is controlled by a few companies thanks to deregulation by the FCC. And they can use the media to say whatever they please, and put down the opinions of anyone who disagrees.
The politicians
Basically all the politicians are rich white men. They got their wealth from inheritance. If they worked for it then they got some real lucky breaks. George Washington in his farewell address warned of political parties and named them one of three things that could break the American system. And guess what...they are. Right now there are two major political parties. It's impossible for two parties to accurately represent the broad spectrum of views held by millions of people. What more these two parties have near complete control so you're either part of them or you aren't a politician.
The people
We're the ones who let this happen and what more most people voting don't vote based on issues. Those who do don't check their sources and are very poorly misinformed. It's almost exactly like Fahrenheit 451 (The Ray Bradbury book....so help me god if someone mentions Michael Moore) where people vote based on who looks best, without even listening to them.
End conclusion? If you want something to change do something about it, do it a little at a time, learn the facts, read your history books and be sure to watch your politicians closely.
Re:I don't understand the acrimony directed toward (Score:4, Insightful)
It's BAD. I've been trying out GIMP on and off for many years and I always left with a very bad "if I have to work this way every day for the next X years until they fix it, I'll go totally mad" feeling.
The job of running this project is not to hold it back, it's to maintain and improve it. If you say no to things out of stubborn personal preference you're not doing your job: You're getting in the way of people who want to do the work.
I feel the same way about this fork as I do about x11.org. It was a long time coming.
Re:That's funny (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Let's get the politics out of the way (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:That's funny (Score:3, Insightful)
It's the Democrats who have changed their tune, previously saying the law should be bent to count every vote, and then once they took the lead, said the law should be followed strictly.
Re:Mostly fellons (Score:3, Insightful)
The stats you link to show that 23 million crimes were commited, not that 23 million people were involved! Ever think about the fact that criminals tend to do a _few_ crimes before getting caught? It's only for "large" crimes (murder, rape, etc.) is it likely that the crime was commited only once. If a guy is caught stealing cars, he probably has done it quite a few times. Finally, criminals tend to get out of jail, and go back to doing more crime. Again, more than 1 per person.
So, if each criminal does on average, lets suppose, 10 crimes, that's only 1% of the population!
Re:Pudge, Get Over It (Score:1, Insightful)
This kind of stuff is normal for political parties, because political parties are nothing more than big lobbying groups. Like the RIAA and other lobby groups, they try to push legislation through that helps them, they sue people to push agendas, and they brainwash people into thinking a certain way. In that way, they're also very similar to most organized religions.
That's why I'm an independent and refuse to affiliate myself with either party. Not only because I happen to hold views from both sides (which confuses their lackeys...both sides have accused me of being partisans for the other side), but because people don't realize how fragile their own perceptions are, and when you fall in with a group, you tend to start thinking like them [wikipedia.org].
I should say that there are good Republicans and good Democrats. Like any group, a lot of the individuals you'll meet are just good people. But the leadership and the hardcore types live in their own world of good guys and bad guys, and their perception of the world is colored by their group's agendas. I think this nation would improve greatly with the abolishment of the two-party cabal. At the least, a vocal third-party (and not Ralph Nader) could affect a lot of change for the good and keep both parties on their toes. Just my $0.02.
Re:Let's get the politics out of the way (Score:4, Insightful)
The fact is, the republicans list of improper voters isn't much, if any, more accurate than the various counties lists of proper voters. If they can't get it right at this late stage of the game, with all the heavy lifting done by the counties already, their expectation that the counties, which aren't as well funded as the Republican party, should have been able to do better is ludicrious on it's face. To say nothing of the relative sin of counting the vote that should be invalid versus the discounting of a valid vote.
If Rossi by 49 is fit to be a duly elected governor, then that horrible bitch by 129 is at least as worthy. That said, they're both comtemptible douchebags. I can only assume both political parties are in silent agreement to make Washington so unlivable that all the transplants will be driven back home before they agree to resume sensible policies.
Re:Pudge, Get Over It (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:That's funny (Score:5, Insightful)
Not that I want to defend the Republican party (not while it's being controlled by theocrats and neoimperialists, anyway), but double standards are politically universal.
You're not biased (Score:1, Insightful)
Come on. Your post is rather biased. "The new(?) Republican thing?" You and I both know I could post as long a list of Democrat hypocrisy as you could of Republican hypocrisy. Welcome to politics; it sucks.
Just take a look [weeklystandard.com] at this [washingtonpost.com], which, as you'll notice, isn't getting any mention in the media, because it's GOP-bashing season right now (well, all the time really). If it was claimed to be a Democratic memo, the media would be describing it as a Republican "Rove-esque" trick. Remember the Democratic memo during the election which talked about claiming voter fraud even when there were no claims of it? CNN, CBS, and the major newspapers completely ignored it...but they jumped on this. It's funny how that works, isn't it?
One of my favorite amusements is listening to people bitch and bitch about the hypocrisy of the other side as though their side doesn't take part in the same kind of crap every single day!
Re:GTK+ on Windows (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:I don't understand the acrimony directed toward (Score:2, Insightful)
This is how - and why - F/OSS doesn't work.
That attitude is a complete turn-off. The only logical answer is "Bollocks to you, I'll go talk to the professionals". They actually want their products to improve. Better products = bums on seats = food on plates.
Doesn't cost the users a cent.
Every time I hear that "Contribute or shut up" line, I get another reason to keep using windows. Cos here's a hint
When someone takes the time to say "Your program could be improved by doing xyz" they just contributed.
"Contribute or shut up" slaps them in the face.
It's not professional, it's not constructive, and it doesn't help Open Source.
Oh bah. (Score:3, Insightful)
"Obvious propaganda" etc. my ass. Just because it's not "promote the democrats!" it's eeeevil propaganda, right?
Wrong. Now it's fairly obvious that the Republicans want to win, and they change their tune when losing like anyone, but you hardly know the situation up here. It's much different than the national election; the Democrats have locally held the office for a long time, and we're in need of serious change. The business law up here is terrible, the economy is going to crap, the corruption at the upper levels is rampant, and the overspending is ridiculous. (Check out our "light rail" project sometime.)
I'm not a Republican. I'm an independent. I'm even fairly anti-Republican in many respects (especially as it relates to corporate law and big business). But the local government here needs change, and a Republican term or two would do us some good. Besides, there were some serious problems with the election: take time to actually read the posted facts before being blinded by your partisan-fanboy judgement.
Besides, the Dems had a chance to investigate things in the national election. Everyone seems to know there were serious problems there, too. There was barely anything done. So what gives?
Re:Mostly fellons (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Oh bah. (Score:2, Insightful)
And under what rock do you live, where you can ignore the House committee investigation into the Ohio frauds, which was ignored by the Republicans who control the House? Or the stand taken by Boxer in the Senate, to force a rare reconsideration of the Ohio count during the actual ballot count, which was likewise ignored by the Republicans who control the Senate? What does it take for you to tell that the Republicans have perverted elections in this country possibly past redemption, with the power they wield in the government? Will it take several devastating Republican administrations in your state, despite the preference of your neighbors for Democrats? I hope you never learn, because I can't afford the price of your education.
Re:You're not biased (Score:3, Insightful)
You are complaining that the anonymous Terry Schiavo Republican Talking Points memo [go.com] was faked by the Democratcs. Because, of course, any reporting on criticism of the Republicans is a partisan trick and an indication of media bias?
Actually, no. The Terry Schiavo memo is true - this morning the Washington Post is reporting [washingtonpost.com] that a Republican Senator fired a his staffer who admitted writing it.
Look I hate to break it to you, but the all the evidence and actions of the Republicans in Washington (Schiavo, Delay, lies about cost of Medicare, Social Security "Crisis", WMD's, torture policy, Clinton Impeachment, budget busting deficits and concurrent tax cuts for the hyper-rich, media consolidation, "nuclear-option" of taking away the filibuster option from the minority party, lack of any sort of investigation of White House actions) demonstrate that the Republicans in Washington are acting like amoral, unethical, hacks who will do anything for power and their party, in contrast to acting for the benefit of the country.
There are some principled Republicans in the country, I know some. But what are the core values that the ones in Washington are demonstrating? Why is it "media bias" to report on their actions?
Reporting on unethical actions is not media bias - and not reporting on false speculation that the Democrats "faked it" without any evidence suggesting that they did is not "media bias". Because, again, the Republican Senate staff DID write the Terry Schiavo Talking points memo. And it is good that people reported it, and that people be held accountable for it.
I have voted Republican, and will again for the right people. But this crop's willingess to lie, and to tolerate lies for their own benefit and to the long-term detriment of the country and our democracy is shameful and disturbing. I don't care if you vote Republican or Democrat - but vote for someone better than the current schmucks in power. There are some candidates our there who care more about what is good for the country than for their personal short-term gain, and who can still tell the difference between the two. We deserve, and need, better leaders than are currently running the show in Washington.
Re:Let's get the politics out of the way (Score:3, Insightful)
> Left leaning sites don't count.
I think you need to work on your bullshitting skills a bit more. There are only three sentences, but you still managed to contratict yourself completely.
Re:Reagan? Really? (Score:4, Insightful)
As for Reagan's legacy (defeating the Soviets), perhaps you are right. But I think it's much more likely that the US will have a financial crisis due to the massive debt accumulation that will far overshadow any gains from "defeating the Soviets" (if that's what the arms spending race really was).
Besides fighting the Cold War, why else do you think Reagan was great? I'm genuinely curious, because I can't think of anything.